Initiative to give formerly incarcerated people a 2nd chance gets a financial boost

In a powerful display of unity across party lines, bipartisan lawmakers, advocates, stakeholders, and directly impacted individuals celebrated the reintroduction of the Clean Slate Act and Fresh Start Act. These bills would reduce the barriers faced by millions of people in America who remain saddled with arrest and conviction records many years after completing their sentences and living crime-free.

Second Chance Month should be more than a celebration — it must be a gateway to lasting justice, ensuring people with records have real opportunities to rebuild their lives.

Missouri lawmakers are considering bipartisan "clean slate" legislation that would automatically seal certain nonviolent criminal records, eliminating the need for legal intervention. This initiative aims to facilitate reintegration by removing barriers to employment and housing for rehabilitated individuals.​